Members of Basic Law Enforcement Academy Class 941 arrived at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission’s Northeast Regional Campus in Spokane from very different backgrounds.
Some served in the military. Others worked in corrections. One recruit had been a barista. Their ages ranged from the early 20s to nearly 50.
What connected them was a decision to begin a career in public service.
That idea became the class motto: “Called to this moment.”
“We all came from a different type of background,” said class Vice President Anessa Cordova of the Selah Police Department. “We all had something in our lives or people in our lives that pushed us into this career.”
For Cordova and class President Troy Hertlein of the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, graduation marks the end of academy training and the start of their work in the communities they will serve.
Learning from different perspectives
Hertlein spent about 13 years in the military before entering law enforcement. At BLEA, he found himself training alongside people with a wider range of ages, careers and life experiences.
That diversity shaped how Class 941 learned together.
WSCJTC instructors rotate through different parts of the academy and bring experience from agencies across Washington. Hertlein said that helped recruits learn the same concepts in different ways.
Sometimes, one explanation made the difference.
“Then one just comes in and says it just slightly different, and they’re like, ‘Oh, well, that makes sense,’” Hertlein said.
Cordova said instructors also helped recruits understand how law enforcement can look different depending on where an officer works.
“We all come from different agencies, some big, some really small,” she said.
During training in areas such as traffic stops and building clearing, instructors shared approaches they had used throughout their careers. That gave recruits a chance to learn from different experiences before returning to their own departments.
Preparing for the work ahead
BLEA gives new officers a foundation in the skills, decision-making and responsibilities they will carry into their careers.
For Cordova, the academy also provided a clearer picture of what the job can look like day to day.
“In the beginning, we didn’t know what to look forward to and how this journey was going to look,” she said.
As training continued, instructors shared lessons from their own careers and helped recruits connect classroom and scenario-based training to the work they will soon perform.
“They were able to share their experiences and kind of open our eyes more to what it actually is going to be like once we get on the road,” Cordova said.
A milestone for their families
Graduation carries personal meaning for both class leaders.
Cordova is the first person on either side of her family to enter law enforcement. Her husband is a sheriff’s deputy, and their children have watched her complete the academy and prepare for a new career.
“This is the first step in the career of mine,” she said.
Hertlein is also the first in his family to enter law enforcement.
After leaving the military, he was unsure what his next career would be.
“The thought of starting a whole new career was kind of terrifying,” he said.
Training also meant spending much of the week away from his two children. Hertlein lives several hours from Spokane and spent four days away from home each week during the 19-week academy.
“It’s tough,” he said.
Reaching graduation makes those months of work and time away especially meaningful.
“This is a start of something that I plan on doing forever,” Hertlein said.
His son has already decided he wants to dress as a deputy for Halloween.
For Hertlein, that is part of what this career means: giving his children something they can be proud of and starting a new chapter for his family.
Called to this moment
Class 941 did not arrive at the academy through one common path.
Their careers, ages and experiences were different. Their reasons for choosing law enforcement were personal.
Now they leave Spokane with shared training, new relationships and a responsibility to bring what they learned back to the communities they serve.
For Class 941, “Called to this moment” describes both the path that brought them to BLEA and the work that begins after graduation.